Author Archives: RuthRiley

Beauty + Basketball = saves lives!!

What does a globally acclaimed cosmetic company and Chicago’s own WNBA team have in common? They each have an unbelievable passion to use their respective areas of influence to make the world a better place!! My coaches and teammates joined me at Amazing Cosmetics’ studio in Libertyville for a wonderful day of food and fun […]

No Kid Hungry Campaign

Most people have mental pictures of starving children in Africa when the issue of poverty and hunger are raised—you might be surprised to learn that there are actually more than 16 million American children who do not have reliable access to the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives.  Recently I had the […]

NBA All-Star according to me . . .

For most people, the NBA All-Star weekend is a time where their favorite athletes showcase their talents in the various skills competitions or the game itself.  All-Star is a weekend to me is a little of everything, business and pleasure, catching up with old friends and making new ones, watching the various games and participating […]

My Chinese Experience

Playing the last two years during my WNBA off-season in Athens, Greece where life is a party could not be more opposite to my current experience in AnShan, China, where their mantra is more like “all work and no play.” I have always embraced new experiences, and have been pleasantly surprised by my time here […]

When “thank you” is not enough!

There are two things just about every house in The Heartland (Indiana) has hanging up: a basketball hoop and a flag. Raised as a good old country girl, patriotism was woven into my psyche as a child. A year and a half my elder, my sister, Rachel, was my rival and my best friend growing […]

You know you are in Europe when .

I recognize that the majority of my blogs are serious topics, so in order to switch it up I am doing a light-hearted piece on what most of your favorite WNBA players are experiencing overseas right now.  Before I continue, please allow me to say that in no way am I trying to insult anyone […]

Nelson Mandela, what a man!

Upon finishing the last page of the book, Invictus, I found myself flushed with emotions of joy, sorrow, hope and inquisition.  The setting of this book is one that I am especially fond of, because for the last three years, South Africa has been home to me during the month of December.  As my relationships […]

Making a difference one community at a time

Breast Cancer, what comes to mind when you hear those two words?  Fear, chemo, death?  Perhaps it is perseverance, to conquer, or a survivor?  Whether it is the memory of a loved one you have lost, the face of a friend who is fighting it now, or the scars you posses as a daily reminder […]

A Different Game, A Different Opponent

This year, World Malaria Day proved to reinforce for me that Malaria is not just a problem in Africa and NBN is not just a campaign limited to the United States. It is a global issue and therefore a universal approach can and must be taken in order to provide a solution. Over the last […]

A New Day for Our Nation

Alone in my apartment in Rivas, Spain, I sat unmoving, yet entirely moved, as I watched the historic inauguration of our 44th president of the United States of America. My spirit rejoiced with the millions of others, past and present, who believed that the virtuous words of equality that our nation was founded on would […]